Goal: To attend a game at every FBS (Division-1) college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 92/130
Often regarded as one of the Big Ten’s wildest and most thrilling venues, Camp Randall Stadium never disappoints. Once a Civil War training site, this massive structure is crammed in a beautiful residential area among dorms, fraternity houses, campus buildings and bars. The Camp is the perfect college venue with views of the state capital and Madison’s surrounding lakes (Mendota and Menona).
Two one-dimensional offenses clashed for a laborious slogfest. Both teams relied on their run games and stubborn defenses. Occasionally, a forward-pass page in the playbook would be dusted off. But, these teams knew their strengths and had no intent on entertaining the packed house in Madison. Every play had fans seeking a recline function on their seat backs.
Continue reading “Game 308: Army @ Wisconsin”
Meeting in the middle in Chicago, Notre Dame battled Wisconsin for the first time since 1964. The headlines leading up to this matchup circulated around the quarterback matchup. Senior Jack Coan, Notre Dame’s signal caller, just had transferred from Wisconsin where current freshman quarterback, Graham Mertz, had just nudged him out of the starting position. The drama surged with discussions of which quarterback would prove himself more worthy. In the end, inexperience would be the difference as Wisconsin literally threw the game away.
Continue reading “Game 306: #18 Wisconsin vs. #12 Notre Dame”
For what will be a blip in the annals of college football history, Wisconsin looked to have Ohio State strangled at halftime. The Badger offense looked undaunted by the two time defending Big Ten champ, and leaped to a 21-7 halftime advantage. But, like many of their previous contests, Wisconsin looked competitive, but not quite enough.
Continue reading “Game 301: #2 Ohio State vs. #8 Wisconsin”
A little Wisconsin football history for you:
The Badgers used to really suck.
Tickets to a Wisconsin game were as sought after as a communicable disease. People would leave unsold Badger tickets on car windshields. Shamed football players shielded their letter jackets from view. The late eighties officially materialized Wisconsin’s tradition of being a doormat.
The program needed a major facelift, and the leaders at UW knew it. That is when Barry Alvarez strolled in as Wisconsin’s new head coach. Confidence. Toughness. Swagger. Adjectives that Badger football lacked, but that Alvarez had packed in his suitcase.
A handful of Big Ten and Rose Bowl championships later, the Badgers have become a consistent winner. Alvarez is now the athletic director helping to maintain this success.
I share this history because today’s 61-0 Wisconsin victory over CMU should not be taken for granted. There was a time when fans would come more for the band than the team, which made the retirement of its longtime band director such a momentous shift.
Wisconsin has been one of the Big Ten’s best.
A worthwhile team to for your hopes to invest.
Northwestern awaited pounding their chest.
Hoping to topple their Badger guest.
I have always loved a good upset. It’s part of the unpredictable excitement of college football. It’s a little harder when it’s your team on the losing end of that upset. But, if there is one thing that I have learned on my travels around the country, it is a growing appreciation for the successes of other teams. BYU earned the right to celebrate today.
Wisconsin entered this game with an undefeated season and playoff hopes in their suitcase. A victory over the Buckeyes would secure a playoff spot for the Badgers. Ohio State was looking for another Big Ten championship and possible playoff berth themselves. The noise and nervousness was palpable inside Lucas Oil Stadium as these two conference contenders clashed for the championship.
100 and 10-0 – milestones in preparation for Michigan.
This year marks 100 years of Camp Randall Stadium, and Wisconsin’s first ever 10-0 record. The Big Ten title game appearance was set for the Badgers, but the opportunity for the college football playoff loomed. ESPN’s College Gameday set up their show on Bascom Hill in Madison signifying the magnitude of this conference tussle.